Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey
T20 World Cup Match 9: IND-W vs NZ-W Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND-W vs NZ-W Dream11 Prediction Today | Junction Oval Pitch Report| India Women vs New Zealand Women Preview Dream11 | IND-W vs NZ-W Key Players
We are about to reach the one week mark of the 2020 T20 World Cup, and we have arguably the most significant game so far. Two undefeated teams, both considered a great chance for the Semi Finals, have the opportunity to take an important step towards the playoffs.
India have won two out of two games so far. One of them was a great win over Australia, and given they now play the other heavyweight in Group A, victory here goes a long way to sealing a Semi Finals berth.
However, it is important not to think too far ahead, as New Zealand are in good touch. They beat South Africa 3-1 before the tournament and started their T20 World Cup campaign solidly with victory over Sri Lanka.
So, which way will this crucial encounter go?
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
- Sophie Devine is in the form of her life. After dominating both the recent WBBL and Super Smash tournaments, she has transferred this form over to T20I cricket.
- Devine’s last five scores with the bat in T20Is: 54* (32), 61 (43), 77 (57), 105 (65) and 75* (55). She has also chipped in with five wickets.
- Smriti Mandhana was ruled out with a virus last game, so India needed a top order player to step up. That was Shafali Verma, who put on a wonderful display of hitting vs B’Desh: 39 (17).
- Suzie Bates is the second-highest run-scorer in NZ-India T20Is (239), behind Sophie Devine (281).
- Maddy Green is coming off 29 (20) vs Sri Lanka. Can she build on it?
- Harmanpreet Kaur is India’s highest run-scorer vs NZ (197). However, she averages just 17.91, and has been in scratchy touch of late.
- The player with impressive numbers is Jemimah Rodrigues. She is another player who can go another level, but she enjoys playing NZ: 191 runs, avg. 47.75.
- Smriti Mandhana is a chance to be fit for this one. She has 186 runs vs NZ at 31.00 + 226 runs this tour at 37.67. This includes scores of 45, 55 and 66 at Junction Oval in the recent AUS-ENG-IND Tri-Series.
- Hayley Jensen was Player of the Match in NZ’s first game, after taking career-best 3/16.
- Poonam Yadav has made an incredible impact so far in the T20 World Cup (seven wickets in two games). Also, she is the second-highest wicket-taker in India-NZ T20Is (9) behind Sophie Devine (11).
- Leigh Kasperek also has nine wickets in India-NZ T20Is.
- Shikha Pandey so far in the 2020 T20 World Cup: 3/14, 2/14.
- Amelia Kerr is one to watch. She is coming off 2/21 vs SL.

Stats and Facts
- Head-to-Head: Matches 11, India 3, New Zealand 8.
- New Zealand beat India 3-0 in a T20I series in 2019. Smriti Mandhana scored the most runs (180).
- 16-year old Shafali Verma strikes at 149.61 in 16 T20Is.
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad has taken 12 wickets in her past seven T20Is.
Possible Playing 11
India: 1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Shafali Verma, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Veda Krishnamurthy, 7. Shikha Pandey, 8. Taniya Bhatia (wk), 9. Arundhati Reddy, 10. Poonam Yadav, 11. Rajeshwari Gayakwad
New Zealand: 1. Sophie Devine, 2. Rachel Priest (wk), 3. Suzie Bates (c), 4. Maddy Green, 5. Katey Martin, 6. Katie Perkins, 7. Amelia Kerr, 8. Hayley Jensen, 9. Leigh Kasperek, 10. Lea Tahuhu, 11. Jess Kerr
Junction Oval Pitch Report and Conditions
Four women’s T20I matches were played earlier this month at Junction Oval (India played in three of these). The average first innings score was 145.75, with nothing alarming in the pitch from a batting perspective. Spend time at the crease = runs.
Some cloud cover is forecast in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon, but no rain is expected. A mild 21 degrees is in store for players and fans.
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:

Option 2:

Also read: Do you bet on the cricket? Some tips for you:
- The art of reading cricket odds: How to understand the odds
- How do bookmakers set the odds in cricket betting?
- Online betting: Key things to keep in mind
Match Prediction
New Zealand have a great record vs India. However, this India team is looking in fine form, with a string of good matches under their belt in recent times.
The result could hinge on Smriti Mandhana’s availability. She is crucial to India’s hopes – if she plays, India might just get the win.
Thanks for reading!